On Monday, September 10th 2018, all of us will stay home and protest the high price of Petrol/Diesel and the failure of Narendra Modi government at controlling them. After all, if Manmohan Singh was able to stop prices from going above around Rs 80/- when crude crossed 100$ and more in 2008, why can’t Modi?
Yes! We need to protest and show this government its place.
We need a “Bharat Bandh”! That’s how Democracy wins…
and so does our ignorance and stupidity!
“Karma is a Bitch”
We would have often read this. Today, you not only experience it but also pay for it. Literally:
In 2009, we returned a government to power. A government that was blatantly killing our future and mortgaging that of our next generations too. But we were happy, because who cares? Let the next generation suffer. We do that with the environment, trees, water bodies, our whole planet every day. Whats the big deal with the financial health of our nation.
Manmohan Singh (MMS) even openly told us so in clear words – that he was selling us out for ensuring a win for Congress in 2009 polls. That our future was screwed and our children would pay – only so that UPA gets another term. But all we wanted was quick gratification.
We are paying for it now.
There are no Free Lunches?
MMS, with his Harvard deputy at the helm of Finances – cooked up the devious “Oil Bond” mechanism to carry forward what has now become approx USD 25 billion worth of petrol debts to the future. A mechanism so devious – it didn’t even reflect in budget reports or debt calculations.
Interests kept rising, unpaid dues kept screwing your future. But who cares? Make merry – UPA 2 was rocking by then. We kept our head in the sand.
And now, for last few years, Modi government is doing the dirty job of correcting all those wrongs of UPA. Repaying the unpaid bills to Iran for oil imports, working towards repaying unpaid interests and dues on Oil Bonds, and ensuring that the misery doesn’t pass on to our next generations. Ensuring we pay for our bad Karma – right here.
We have inherited 1 lakh 30 thousand crores of oil bonds which are unpaid bills of oil companies from 2009-14. Additionally a large number of subsidies for kerosene, LPG, fertiliser, food security, central sales taxes reimbursement to states were not paid up for years by UPA. pic.twitter.com/45UlyFgskb
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) June 18, 2018
Choice is ours
The choice is clear and easy now for us. Timing is also very similar.
UPA-1 started the “use now, pay later” in 2008, to ensure safe passage in 2009 elections. It worked for them and we got glorious UPA-2. The story continued till next election.
The situation repeats now. Modi government is obviously refusing to do the same.
So we have the opportunity to kick him out in 2019 and get back the “spend now, pay later” policy again.
Party now. Why care about the future?
Let kids pay for our Karma.
